Anti-racist psychotherapy with David Archer

Season 2, Episode 32, Release Date: 5-15-2024

Anti-Racist Psychotherapy with David Archer

 

Today I had the pleasure of having a compassionate conversation with David Archer, an Anti-racist clinical Social Worker. He is a couples and family therapist, and an advocate for racially oppressed and LGBTQ+ community.

 

David has written many books, including his newest book, "Transforming Complex Trauma: Reflections on Anti-Racist Psychotherapy." 

 

David has a revolutionary vision, which transforms society in a very positive and healing way. As we heal ourselves, we simultaneous increase the compassion that we are able to give to others, according to David.

 

David shared how we can view time as circular and malleable. We journey with clients, and help shed light on the past, and work to understand what they would like to manifest for their future.

 

EMDR is bringing back indigenous knowledge of a mind-body-spirit connection. Also, interconnectedness is a natural way that humans have lived for most of our existence. 

 

We spoke about how capitalism is an inherently insecure system, as it rests of the idea that there is never enough. It is one of the three evils according to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The other two are racism and extreme militarism. When we are committing acts of violance, there is a level of dissociation that is taking place. There are elements within society that encourgae us to shut down and not pay attention. When we start paying attention, compassion grows.

 

Being alive, and breathing is an expression of love!

 

Whenever we create an exile, there is some form of dissociation taking place. We are cut off from some of our feelings. When we feel safe, we can tap into the infinite creativity within ourselves. Mental health is helping people have options for who they choose to be.

 

For David, we need to resist thinking in binaries. He shared how we have to break the ideas of labels, such as mental health. Instead, we can understand how mental health is a fluctuation of states.

 

I questioned how David stays so positive, and he said, "I am never alone. I always have my ancestors with me."

 

Experiences can always be pathways to connect to divinity, even difficult experiences. As trauma therapists, we go on this journey with clients, to help them dive into the abyss of trauma.

 

David shared, "I bring in music, rhythm, religion, because I want to create a therapy that does not look or feel like therapy." Instead of there being a hierarchy of the therapist over the client, the client chooses the method of healing. With this power, the client has a new experience of having choice, and a juxtaposition is created.

 

We spoke about RAP-- Rhythm and Processing. This a beautiful process that David has written about in his new book, "Tranforming Complex Trauma."